The Tragedie of Euripedes called Iphigenaia - Video

Performed by The Rose Company

Lady Jane Lumley's Iphigenia at Aulis (c. 1555) was performed by The Rose Company at the Minghella Theatre, and directed by Emma Rucastle, during the Reading Early Modern Studies Conference on Tuesday 9 July, 2013. 'The Tragedie of Euripedes called Iphigeneia' was first 'translated out of Greake into Englisshe' c.1555 by Lady Jane Lumley and is one of the earliest plays written by an Englishwoman. Lumley's prose translation of the tragedy, where Iphigenia is to be sacrificed in Aulis so that the Greek ships can sail to Troy, transforms Iphigenia into a Greek hero. Lumley's stark prose emphasizes Agamemnon's cruelty and the raw pain of parting felt by the family. Her translation is daring in finding moments of dark comedy in the ludicrous situations faced by the protagonists. The play has only been performed once before, more than 15 years ago in 1997, and is part of a renewed interest in early women's drama which aims to refute the common critical assumption that women's drama was unperformed and unperformable. The production is by a newly-founded all female theatre company, The Rose Company.

This video was edited by Sam Mitchinson and Francesca Hayden (Film, Theatre and Television, University of Reading). The recording is of an initial 'work in progress' and further updates on the production can be found on the company website.